


Whirlpool

by wrapped



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Coming of Age, F/M, Friendship, Identity Reveal, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Romance, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:15:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25808698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrapped/pseuds/wrapped
Summary: Marinette is an eighteen year old girl, entering college. She is used to juggling everything: family, friends, school, being a superhero. Does she have any room to add a romance?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17
Collections: Miraculous Ladybug





	1. Chapter 1

There I was, sitting in a small, stuffy room filled to the brim with boxes, with only a complete stranger accompanying me. I was officially in college. My roommate, Kagami, had said very little out of a small greeting. In fact, she had looked rather bewildered as my parents wrapped her in hugs and did everything short of adopting her as their own. I basically had to shove them out of the dorm. Though my parents had been sort of embarrassing, I still felt a grim weight on me as Kagami’s parents were a no show.  
A deafening silence loomed for hours as we both unpacked our things. I was hanging up some pictures, many with my highschool friends, some of maman and papa, others of Paris. After I had made a sort of messy mural of pictures, I looked over to Kagami’s side of the room. She had unpacked most of her things, and had settled herself into her desk chair, looking through some journal. Her walls were completely barren.  
“What’s that?” I asked, trying to break the silence.  
“I’m looking at my planner for our schedule today. Although it seems as though it is relatively empty, and most orientation activities begin tomorrow,” Kagami replied, rather coldly. Though, under her composure, she seemed almost nervous.  
“Well, yeah! Today was mainly just the move-in day. I was thinking it would be a good opportunity to meet some of the people in our hall. Want to come with me?”  
“I would, if that is okay with you.”  
With that, I took Kagami out into the hall, where sappy parents and frazzled girls rushed around. Almost everyone’s doors were open, and many girls were mingling throughout the hall. Kagami, however, seemed a little nervous, and stayed consistently one step behind me. I walked two dorms down, and knocked on the open door, only to be polite. Inside of the dorm were two girls, one with long black hair, that had been dyed purple at the bottom. Her side of the room was decorated with many female rock posters, and a Jagged Stone poster. The other girl had video cameras and notebooks spread throughout her side. The bespectacled girl looked like the type who would know all of your secrets. Her fiery hair bounced as she jumped off of her bed to greet us.  
“Hello!” she squealed “I’m Alya and this is Juleka. Where are you guys from? Oh, and what are you studying?”  
I looked to Kagami to start. She stepped forward, and, almost as if she had practiced before we came, she stoically responded, “I am Kagami Tsurugi, and I was born in Japan, but moved to France four years ago. I am planning on studying as a business major, but would like to potentially double major in accounting as well.”  
“I’m Marinette. I’ve lived at my parents’ bakery about thirty minutes outside of Paris my whole life. I don’t really know what I want to study, but I’ll probably major in business since its the most useful,” I said with a sigh. I really had no idea what I was planning to do. I never really excelled at any subject in school. The only thing anyone could say I was proficient at was knowing all of the best fashion brands, but I had a snowball’s chance in hell of making it in that industry.  
“Awesome! As I said earlier, I’m Alya, and I’m also from Paris. I’m planning on studying journalism. In fact, I was the head of my school’s newspaper back in the day.”  
Juleka scoffed, and added, “You treat highschool as if it were ages ago. It’s only been four months!”  
“Well we are adults now, Juleka! It’s like a completely different world we’ve entered.”  
“Okay, well, I guess you’re somewhat right. Anyways, I’m Juleka, and I’m planning on studying public policy. Oh, and I came from the same place as Alya; we’ve known eachother since we were little.”  
I thought to my friend, Nino, who also came with me to college. In fact, he had ended up in the same building, albeit a floor down. I made a mental note to visit him later.  
“Wow,” I responded, “ So you guys must know the city pretty well. I’m glad I met all three of you. I’ve always been told that I am rather ‘directionally challenged’. We should all grab lunch sometime. In the city, that is, not just the dining halls,”  
“Girl, I have got you,” Alya responded with a smirk. “I know this city like the back of my hand. Though, we will have to be careful, with the akuma attacks and all. This city seems to be a magnet for those. Did those ever happen where you’re from, Marinette?”  
I was taken aback by her suddenly bringing up the akumas. Hawkmoth had been creating akumas since my sophomore year of highschool. They would appear all over Paris and its suburbs. Though, usually the attacks were much more dangerous in the city, with all of the tall buildings and civilians wandering the streets. I had known of these attacks rather well. After all, it was also my sophomore year when I was granted the power of the ladybug miraculous, though that was not something I could reveal. It was strange that Alya would bring it up all of the sudden. Almost everyone in France knew of the attacks, but it usually went unspoken. Many either had been or knew someone who had been akumatized, and it was somewhat of a sore subject for many.  
Before I could finish my thoughts, Juleka interrupted “We would certainly have to be careful around this one,” she said jutting a thumb at Alya, “She has a nasty habit of actually following akuma attacks.”  
“Well, Juleka,” Aly responded, making sure to pronounce every syllable of the other girl’s name, “ how else am I supposed to get photos for the Ladyblog?”  
“You are the writer of the Ladyblog? I am a huge fan of your work. I especially loved when you interviewed many of the people who had been akumatized in the past, “ Kagami interjected. I wouldn’t have taken her for a Ladybug fan.  
The conversation flowed naturally, and we eventually exchanged numbers. As we were walking back to our dorm, I excused myself from Kagami, explaining to her that I had to go visit my friend Nino. She waved me goodbye, and I walked to the stairs up to Nino’s room.  
He had told me the room number was 318. I walked up to the door and gave a light knock. I heard heavy footsteps come closer until the door swung open, revealing instead of Nino, thick tussles of blonde hair loosely feathered over a wide rimmed pair of glasses. This new figure was wearing a forest green hoodie with denim jeans. He stammered a quick greeting, and looked to me as if he were expecting me to state my reason for intrusion.  
Though, I guess that was normal, considering I was a random girl knocking on his door. I began to respond to his silent ask “Is Ni-”  
“Adrikins! I can’t believe we didn’t end up in the same building. Luckily it is just a quick walk over here,” a blonde, Paris Hilton type bursted from behind me, hugging the exasperated boy. Her hair was tied into a tight ponytail, with all of the flyaways held down by what seemed to be an entire can of hairspray. She did, however, allow two little trestles to curve almost perfectly around her large hoop earrings.  
“Hey Chloe,” the guy said, shuffling awkwardly under the weight of the girl on top of him. As I looked at his nervous composure, I realized that they were probably dating, and I, this random stranger who, by the looks of these two individuals, was nowhere near their socioeconomic level, barged in on their happy reunion. The girl responded to him, gushing over how excited she was to be at the same college as him.  
“Oh! I think this is the wrong room. Sorry for the inconvenience!” I panicked, and quickly left the room behind. My flats hastily shuffled against the carpeted floor of the dorm, and I felt like a cartoon leaving a trail of dust behind me. I thought I may have heard the boy’s voice as I left, but it was probably in my head.  
“Fuck,” I whispered under my breath. My heart was still pounding from the uncomfortable experience. It had been one day of college and I had already embarrassed myself. Why did I have to run away like that? Hell, I hadn’t even found out if that was really Nino’s room or not.  
I unlocked my door, and plopped myself in bed, giving a quick greeting to Kagami who was reading at her desk. Grabbing my newly placed covers off my bed and rolling myself in them as if they were my cushion from the world, I tried to go to bed, hoping with all I had that it hadn’t actually been Nino’s room, and I would never have to face those two again. God, it was all so embarrassing.


	2. Anew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette begins to explore college.

What had possessed this school to make me wake up at 6:00 AM for orientation. It was honestly inhumane. I awoke to my alarm blaring in my ears, with Kagami already awake and fully dressed. She was dressed in some slacks and a casual white blouse. Her outfit was rather plain, save for her beautiful red dragon earrings. I pulled myself off the bed, and went for my toothbrush with a small yawn. The sun was hardly showing; why would anyone be awake at this hour? 

I mumbled a morning greeting to Kagami and went into the hall bathroom. As I was brushing my teeth, an equally grumpy Alya barged into the bathroom, and positioned herself two sinks away from the one I was using. Her tee shirt was all crumpled and she wore blue boxer shorts. She let out a loud groan and started furiously brushing her teeth. I gave a small chuckle, and she looked at me completely perplexed.

“So I take it you’re not a morning person either? I honestly don’t know how I am going to get through this day,” I replied. “What does this ‘orientation’ even entail? Could they not have just sent us a little ‘how-to’ pamphlet?”

Alya’s eyes widened, “You don’t know?”

“Know what?” I asked cautiously. 

“Girl, what I am about to say may be a lot, so brace yourself.”

My heart began to pound. The way she spoke made it seem as if she had uncovered the biggest and most horrifying story on campus. It couldn’t be that bad, right?

“College orientation is where a bunch of overly perky upperclassmen force you to walk around the whole campus in the summer heat, sing songs, and go to information sessions by the administration. It’s almost like summer camp. All of my friends from highschool that had gone to college before me have given me many warnings.”

I chuckled again. “It can’t be that bad right? Maybe a little cringey at times, but not unbearable.”

“I don’t know about you, Marinette, but I am bracing myself for the inferno,” Alya claimed. She then left, presumably to go back to her room and ready herself. She seemed a little dramatic, but was really funny. It was then that I decided I would hang out with her for orientation. After all, sleepy girls have to stick together.

I went back to my room, and Kagami was already gone. She had probably gone to the lobby to meet up with our floor and our RA. I quickly threw on a blush colored tank top and high waisted shorts, and fled the room. When I got to the lobby, just about our entire hall was there, along with our RA, Erin. After the last few girls trickled down, Erin introduced herself to us. She was a Junior in the Architecture school, and was a foreign exchange student from Italy. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun, and she wore clear rimmed large framed glasses that sat lazily on her perky nose. 

“Alright guys, I know it is early in the morning, but I want to learn more about you all! Let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves. Say your name, what you plan on studying, and your favorite candy!”

A girl with a light blonde pixie cut began, “Hi! My name is Rose and I plan on becoming a French major. I’ve always wanted to be a writer. As for my favorite candy, I think I’ll go with skittles.”

“I’m Mylene,” the girl with colorful hair and golden eyes started next to Rose, “and I am currently undecided with my major. I was thinking about Art… but I am not so sure,” she said meekly. Oh, and I guess I like butterfingers?”

“I’m Alya, going for a journalism major, and I absolutely adore Twix.”

“I am Kagami Tsurugi and I am studying business and accounting,” she stated astutely.  
“What is your favorite candy,” Erin asked encouragingly.

“Oh,” Kagami looked taken aback. “I don’t really eat candy, but as for sweets,” she gave a long pause, as if looking for the perfect answer, “I enjoy watermelon.”

Next was my turn. “I am Marinette, and I think I am studying business, but I am not at all married to the major. My favorite candy would have to be… Kit-Kats,” I fought the urge to let out a smile as I thought of my kitty, who would probably be over the moon to find out that my favorite candy made for one of the easiest cat puns. I wondered how he was doing. It had been a month since Hawkmoth had released an akuma, and we hadn’t patrolled since I was busy with packing, and he said he had a lot as well. I wondered to myself if he was in college. After all, he looked to be about the same age as me, though he didn’t always act like it. I missed him. Maybe I would ask to patrol again soon?

I was taken out of my thoughts as Erin led us outside, and to a vast courtyard where other orientation groups were seated all about. She sat us down in a circle, and began to explain that this was called ‘the grounds’ by many students. There were tables and many lecture halls spread throughout. I began to zone out, and thought to Nino. I felt bad that I hadn’t seen him on move-in day, and decided to send him a text.

Hey, I typed, I’m just making sure I got your room number right. It’s 318, right?

After about five minutes, he responded:Yeah. You should come check it out. My roommate totally helped me on the design aspect and the room looks sick.

My heart sank as I realized that the room I went to yesterday was correct, and I had made a total fool of myself. With a deep breath, I decided that I would have to return to the scene of what I then decided to call ‘the incident’ and responded. Awesome! I’ll swing over before dinner and we can go to the dining hall together!

Sweet, see ya later dudette, Nino responded. Well, I supposed I have to face my demons at some point. With a sigh, I returned my focus to the group. 

Alya looked to be studying all of the students around the grounds. She seemed very attentive, almost too attentive. I would have to be careful around her; my secret was going to be even harder to hide in college. She seemed nice enough, though. Next to her, Juleka was calmly watching Erin explain how scheduling worked, and how much time you typically want in between classes. She occasionally wrote down notes. I decided I should do the same, and put my attention onto Erin. 

After explaining quirky campus culture and lifestyle, Erin took us to the library. It was about a ten minute walk from the grounds, and was a massive, Gothic style building that Erin couldn’t stop gushing about. She really was an architecture major. She let us free to look around, and I found myself attracted to the large media center downstairs. It was filled with recording booths, Apple computers, and art studios. At the entrance to the media center was a boy with dip dyed blue tips on his scruffy black hair. 

He gave me a friendly smile, “Checking out a room?”

“Uh, no. Actually I’m a first year here for orientation,” I responded, looking at the boy in front of me. He looked to be a little older, and had a nonchalant composure that would make anyone feel welcome talking to him. His friendly blue eyes had a knowing spark to them as he took in what I said.

“Oh so we got a newbie here. Well, would you like me to show you around,” he responded with a gentle smile.

“I couldn’t ask that. After all, you’re working, right?” I countered

“Nah, most students haven’t even moved in yet. I’ll leave my number just in case someone needs my help, but I think it’ll be okay. That is, if it is okay with you…” he paused and I realized he was waiting for my name.

“Marinette,” I responded curtly.

“Luka,” he said with a smirk. “So, Marinette, what are you studying here?” He asked as he walked me around the center.

“Uhm, business, I think.”

“You think?” he asked incredulously.

“Well, I’m not sure. I just figured it would be the most useful. I’m not particularly great at any one subject,” I wasn’t really sure how to answer his question. 

“I doubt that is true, Marinette,” he said, once again using my name, “most freshmen don’t know what they want to do. That is why it is the best time to explore.”

With that, Luka led me through the recording studio, explaining that he was minoring Music, and that he would often come here to record and decompress. While looking at him, I could definitely see him being into music. He had that indie-rocker vibe to him, with his ripped black jeans and ear piercings. As he walked into a sound booth, he showed me his guitar, and quickly played a few chords. He was so talented. I felt so small next to him. Luka had seemed so confident and assured, and here I was floundering over which major I wanted. I gave my praise and we headed towards the computers. 

I found it kind of boring, as he was talking about graphic design. I was never really good with computers, though Nino had always lauded himself on his coding skills. He had even made an app that had gotten quite a bit of traction on the app store. I couldn’t even figure out how to save a file most of the time. As Luka went on about the computer resources, I found myself distracted by the art studios. There was a great, golden sculpture, that looked like a tree with long drooping bright green leaves that cascaded around it. Luka noticed my interest and paused.

“Ah, so sculpting has piqued your interest?” he questioned.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I stated, feeling bad for ignoring him, “the statue is just so beautiful. It’s kind of amazing that someone going to the same school as me was able to make that.”

“Maybe you should try taking a sculpting class? After all, you might just have a hidden talent.”

I laughed at the statement. Me? Talent? Keep dreaming. A sculpting class could be fun, though. He finished the rest of the tour, and I gave a quick goodbye, excusing myself to find the rest of our orientation group. 

Once I returned, the other girls and I gathered around Erin, who was about to excuse us for lunch. A smile reached my face as I realized how hungry I had been. My mouth began to water. Just as we were about to leave, however, we heard a large rumbling in the distance. People began to run all around us. Erin looked panicked, and explained, “Okay guys so this seems to be an Akuma attack. Everyone, follow me.”

As the group followed, I carefully broke myself off from the group, praying that nobody would notice. I could just say I got lost in the chaos. I slipped into the bathroom with a sigh. Tikki flew out of my purse, and gave me a knowing nod.

“It’s okay Marinette. You’ve got this! Just say the words and we can go right back,” she encouraged.

“You’re right. I just wish Hawkmoth would have waited for a better time to make his grandiose return,” I complained. With that, I shouted, “Tikki, spots on!”


	3. Normalcy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette reunites with old friends.

As I swung to the scene of the akuma, I saw Chat vaulting from the opposite direction towards me. He had certainly grown in the time I had known him. He was no longer the scrappy, wide eyed boy I had met all those years ago. Of course, he was still goofy, and had an awful habit of making puns, but he seemed more confident in himself. Along with that, he had grown, physically speaking, a considerable amount. Instead of being a mere inch taller than me, he now loomed a good six inches over me. He had also filled out. Chat wasn’t buff by any means, but he had a strong figure. I had no doubt that his civilian self was popular and would be able to grab the attention of almost anyone. He had stopped prying about sharing identities a good while ago, and we seemed to have come to a comfortable understanding. If it were to happen, it should happen naturally. Our teamwork had improved tremendously once we had reached this consensus. 

“It’s about time bugaboo,” he gave his long running nickname to me, “this one seems to be a student upset about the abysmal dining hall food. The poor soul was forced to eat what she claimed to be akin to dog food,” he finished with a queasy expression.

Well, that just about ruined my excitement to finally fill my stomach. I looked around and noticed giant versions of food: pizza, cassaroles, biscuits, and other comfort foods. The akuma was holding a plate that shot out a ray, turning whatever laid in its beam into some sort of food. She was dressed in a retro, short sleeved dress with a checkered apron over it. It was almost as if she were a waitress at a 50s themed diner. 

“Well, we just can’t let her take a bite out of us, can we?” I stated, trying to mimic Chat’s signature smirk.

“Ah, bugaboo, all these years and your puns still can’t match mine. I guess I’m simply too pawsome.”

“Uh huh. As if you haven’t used that one before,” I returned with a laugh. It felt good to be with Chat again. It had not been that long, but it was still nice to see him. I guess he provided some sense of normalcy, as ironic as it sounds with us being superheroes and all, as everything had been changing so fast. I had spent the month prior to that akuma attack preparing to leave home and enter Paris, and barely had time for any of my old friends. I guess it was nice to have Chat, he was always a constant in my life.

“I think,” he brought me out of my thoughts, “that based on her outfit, she might be a little homesick. She’s probably from the countryside. Maybe we could lure her in by going to a kitchen? We could say we are going to whip up some dinner. That might get her attention.”  
“Good plan, lets go,” I shouted as I swung over towards the dining hall. Chat followed behind me, yelling for the akuma’s attention. 

We arrived into the kitchen area, and she soon followed. She began to rapidly fire her ray, turning all of the appliances into different versions of food. Chat and I dodged as we assessed the area. Her ray had gotten to almost everything. I gave a quick glance to Chat, and he nodded in response.

“No need to get all hangry,” Chat said with a laugh as I activated my lucky charm. 

It materialized in the form of a simple cooking spoon. I would never get over how useless my lucky charms looked at first. After all, I was a superhero that could create anything, why couldn’t I get something cool? With a sigh, I examined my surroundings. Chat was trying to break her plate with his staff, but she managed to launch a ray with his every attempt, forcing him to dodge. I took that opportunity, waited for the moment after she launched the ray, and threw the spoon at the plate as Chat dodged. The plate shattered, leaving the girl to return to normal as the purple butterfly was released from the plate. I purified the akuma, and Chat and I did our famous fist bump. 

After returning the girl to safety, and calming her down, I stopped Chat.   
“Hey, it’s been a while. Want to meet on the Eiffel Tower after feeding our kwamis?” I asked awkwardly. It really had felt nice to see him again, and I wasn’t quite ready to go back. 

“Sure, but we have to be quick. I don’t want my roommate getting too suspicious,” he responded, then vaulted off.

I swung to an abandoned alleyway and released the transformation. Tikki flew out, and flew straight towards the cookies in my purse. Her cheeks somehow looked rosier as she devoured the sweet treat. My parents had given me a large stock of baked goods for college. Papa claimed he wanted me to stay strong while I was out. As Tikki finished her last bite, she flew up to face me.

“Marinette, you know you should get back to your orientation group soon. Erin will be worried sick if you’re missing for too long. That Alya girl also seems to be quite attentive,” she lectured.

“I know it’s risky, it has just been so long since I’ve seen Chat. I guess I miss him.”

She gave a knowing nod as I transformed, and swung towards the Eiffel Tower. Chat and I hadn’t talked in quite a while, not really. I had been so busy preparing for college, I hadn’t really made an effort to talk after akuma attacks for the past few months. While I knew we couldn’t share personal details, I still wanted to know how he was doing. 

When I arrived he was already there, perched on one of the highest support beams. I swung over and took a seat right next to him. He acknowledged me with a friendly smile.

“It seems Hawkmoth is finished with his little vacation,” he noticed. “While I can’t say I’m too excited to come up with more excuses for going missing during akuma attacks, I did miss you bugaboo.”

“I missed you too, Chat. How have you been this past month?”

“Hmm…” he looked to his left, “well it’s certainly been an interesting month. A lot changed in my life, but I feel good. I feel free,” he finished, cryptically. He had always said his life at home was suffocating. Maybe he had finally moved out? I didn’t want to pry, so I left that thought unsaid. “I did miss seeing those spots around the city, though. You are quite a meowvelous superhero.”

Something seemed off with Chat. He was happier for sure, but he seemed distant and distracted. I nodded, and laid my head on his right shoulder. I didn’t have much to say, and neither it seemed did he. That was okay, though. I had become used to silence with him. We couldn’t divulge too many details about our personal lives, and with the lack of akuma attacks there was only so much we could talk about. I was content to just have him with me, with his comforting presence surrounding me. We stayed there like that for about five minutes, before he decided to get up.

“Well, I have to head back. Otherwise there will be a whole search party tracking me down. People can only go without my wonderful presence for so long, ” he stated with a wide grin. 

“Okay,” I said, ignoring his cocky statement, “Want to start our weekly patrols again?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.”

With that we left, and returned to our civilian selves. I found my orientation group near our dorm, and ran over to them. Erin looked relieved to find me. I had told her that I had just gotten separated in the chaos and hid in the Arts building. Alya quirked an eyebrow at that, but chose not to say anything. I knew I would have to be more careful in the future. Alya was smart, and she was the one running the Ladyblog, so she would know much more than the average citizen about my partner and I. We couldn’t risk her finding out. If she were akumatized she could reveal our identities, ruining any sense of normalcy Chat and I have. 

As we grabbed lunch and then continued our orientation tour, I couldn’t help but think about Chat. Had we grown apart over time? When we first met, we were fumbling through life, trying our best to be Paris’s saviors. We bonded over this new responsibility that had been placed into our admittedly way too young hands. As time went on, however, the whole superhero thing became routine, it became easier. We had figured out what to do and, in a way, we move on from the part of our lives where we were two kids playing with incredibly dangerous toys. Instead of reveling in the newness and strangeness of it all, we would simply purify the akuma, and move on with our days. I wasn’t ready to share my true identity with him, I didn’t know if I ever would be. There was still a part of me, however, that wished I could be closer with him, to really know him. After all, we had gone through so much together, it was only natural for me to want to know what was behind the mask. 

Putting my superhero worries aside, I returned to my dorm after orientation activities ended, and prepared myself for dinner. I shot Nino a text telling him I was coming over and headed out. I was excited to see him again. I wanted to see how he had settled in and see if he had made any potential friends in his time here. With a knock on the door, I awaited his arrival. He opened the door, and greeted me with a massive hug. 

“Mari! It’s so good to see you. I’ve been stuck with this loser all day,” he said as he jokingly pointed at the familiar blonde boy sitting on one of the beds behind him. My face flushed as I remembered how I had completely embarrassed myself in front of him the day prior. He had messy blonde hair, and wore thin rimmed glasses. He had a little bit of stubble on his lip and chin, and wore a green flannel shirt with some Agreste brand jeans. It was so odd to see such a casual looking guy wearing designer jeans. Oh how it must be to be rich. 

I took a deep breath and responded, “It’s good to see you too,” I paused, looking over to the blonde boy, “and nice to properly meet you…”

“Adrien,” he responded to my unspoken question. “Nice to meet you too, Mary, was it?”  
“No, it’s Marinette,” I corrected, “Mari is just a nickname from highschool. You can call me that if you’d like, though.”

He gave a little nod, not really giving any hints as to what he would call me in the future. I continued to look around the room as Nino and I made idle chit chat. They had a large television with many game systems hooked up to it. It looked a bit tacky in the small dorm space, but a part of me wondered if they had Ultimate Mecha Strike. Nino never had many of his own video games, he usually just borrowed mine. I assumed this all belonged to the blonde, Adrien. Other than that, posters lined Nino’s walls of different musicians. Adrien’s side seemed to lack decor, which was odd for a seemingly wealthy kid. 

“Well I for one am starving. You guys want to go to the dining hall?” Nino asked, inviting both of us. I was taken aback, not because I disliked Adrien, but because I barely knew the guy outside of my one embarrassing encounter with him. Adrien and I gave a nod and we made our way towards the dining hall.


	4. True Meeting

The dining hall was about a ten minute walk from our dorm building. I walked on Nino’s left, and Adrien took the right, though he trailed just a few steps behind. Nino and I shared our orientation experiences with Adrien making an occasional comment. We saw other small groups of students walking together, many talking about the akuma attack. From what I overheard, it had been the first time seeing one for many students, whether they were international or simply lived on the outskirts of France. 

“I can’t believe we actually saw them. Ladybug was so amazing!” exclaimed one girl rather excitedly.

“She sure is,” I heard Adrien say from his right, as if it were a breath he had been holding in all night. 

Nino stopped completely in his tracks and turned around to face Adrien. “Oh my God we have a Ladybug fan here. Glad to see my roommate is a man of good taste,” he said as he slapped a hand over the blonde’s shoulder. 

Adrien paused for a bit, looking flustered. “I mean who wouldn’t be? She’s probably the smartest girl in Paris, and, let’s face it, the city would be lost without her,” he said, shuffling around and avoiding eye contact with Nino. He seemed so genuine when he said that. His eyes seemed to light up, and he seemed as if he truly cared about her.

“Oh ho ho,” Nino started, “it looks like somebody has a little crush. I guess a rich, pretty boy like you would have his sights set pretty high.”

“Nino,” I scolded, “stop teasing him. Everybody has a celebrity crush. Plus, Adrien already has a girlfriend, right?”

“Whoa whoa whoa. You have a girlfriend. As your roommate I should know these things, dude,” Nino spluttered. 

Adrien stood there, looking incredibly confused. “I don’t have a girlfriend. Why would you think that?”

“I mean,” I paused in shock. Could I not stop making a fool of myself in front of this boy? “I saw you with that girl, the blonde one, the other day. I guess I assumed…”

“Oh,” Adrien exclaimed with a look of understanding, “That was Chloe. She’s a childhood friend and she can be… a lot. She’s super great once you get to know her. I mean, she was my only friend growing up, so we have always been pretty tight.”

My eyes widened in embarrassment as I replied, “Oh my God I am so sorry! I just thought since she, ya know, and you were standing there and… oh my God I’m still embarrassing myself and…”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Adrien chuckled, “Chloe can be touchy, so I understand. However, I didn’t take you as the type to get flustered.” 

“I-I’m not…”

“Damn Mari,” Nino interjected with a mischievous smile, “not even I could get you to blush like that. Anything else on your mind?”

I stood there confused for a second. What could he be inferring? “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Wait,” Adrien interrupted, “are you two dating?”

Nino and I responded by awkwardly looking at each other before bursting out into a hearty laugh. 

“No, not currently, at least,” I replied. “We used to date, in our sophomore and junior years of high school. We decided we were better as friends though.”

“Yeah,” said Nino, “plus she couldn’t keep this tiger caged. I’m a ladies’ man after all. She had to share the wealth a bit,” he finished with a wink.

I rolled my eyes and laughed. Just like that, all of the awkwardness passed. As we kept walking we discussed our classes and goals. Adrien seemed to warm up to me, and started to speak up more. He was planning on majoring in business, just like me, though he didn’t seem too sure. We both seemed so boring next to Nino, who was planning to major in music, more specifically in digital music. For as long as I could remember Nino loved to mix samples for music, and had even released some of his own, though locally. He was good at it too. Just about our whole high school loved his music, and many students would even pay for one of his CDs. 

Though I wouldn’t like to admit it, I had always been a little jealous of him. He had this passion, and he was really good at it too. I always had little things I liked, like fashion and rock and roll, but nothing I ever saw myself truly doing with my life. In high school, all I really had was being Ladybug. It was what made me special. In my civilian life, nothing really made me stand out. I was just a klutzy girl with decent grades, but no real purpose. I supposed it was nothing to worry about. After all, I had a lot of time to figure it all out. With college approaching and my month-long hiatus from being Ladybug, my worries returned. It felt like I was just floating through this whole college thing with no real purpose. 

Adrien’s hesitation about majoring in business provided a bit of consolation for me. It was nice to have someone else floundering through this whole thing just as much as I was. He seemed nonchalant when he said it, but I could sense a hint of worry under his cool persona. Maybe I was just reading too into it, but something about the way he looked down and brushed his slightly too long, messy blonde locks out of the way told me he was at least a little worried about it. Unknowingly, he was able to make me feel just a bit better about not knowing exactly what I wanted. He let me know it was okay.

We each walked into the dining hall and each got our meals. The akuma from earlier was definitely right about the food, it was less than stellar. It was something I expected, however, as nothing could beat Maman’s cooking. I grabbed a plate of pasta and a small bowl of vegetable soup with a baguette on the side. We found a booth-style table and sat ourselves down. Nino had gotten almost everything, and wouldn’t stop raving about how many options there were. He had even stocked up on desserts and had a big plate of brownies and cookies. I rolled my eyes at him, but let him enjoy his food. Adrien, on the other hand, had the exact opposite. He had a small salad with a slab of chicken as his protein. It seemed lacking for a dinner, especially for a boy his age. I supposed that he did look rather thin. He wasn’t unhealthy per se, but a bit gaunt. If Maman had seen him she would immediately stuff his face with our baked goods. Storing the information in the back of my mind, I decided to let it go for now. 

“So,” Nino started in between bites, “what classes are you guys signing up for tomorrow?”

There was a long silence as Adrien and I awkwardly glanced at one another. It was pretty clear that neither of us were completely sure. I decided to break the silence. 

“To be honest I’m not completely sure. I mean, there are some requirements I’m going to try and get out of the way like Econ 101, but other than that…”

“Come on Mari,” Nino exclaimed, “there has to be something that has piqued your ever refined interests.”

“Well,” I began, “I did run into some of the art studios while I was touring the library’s media center. A really nice guy showed me around and got me thinking that I might try a sculpting class.”

“Oh so we have an artist,” Nino replied with a big, goofy grin.

“It’s just an elective,” I replied with a huff. “Adrien, what are you thinking of taking?”

“I’m not really sure either. I’ve always liked Physics though, so maybe I’ll give that a try.”

“Oh no,” Nino gasped, “my roommate is a brainiac!”

Adrien gave a sigh and continued to eat. Looking closely at him I noticed a small hint of a smile on his face from Nino’s antics. 

After Nino somehow managed to finish all of his plates, we returned our dishes and headed back to our dorm building. The night had a nice breeze, and with my full stomach I was finally able to look at the place that was now my home. It was bigger than my suburb, with huge skyscrapers surrounding us. From the distance, I could see the Eiffel Tower, and my mind was brought once again to Chat. I was glad to see my partner again, and was excited for our next patrol. It was also nice actually living in Paris now. Though swinging into the city wasn’t too difficult or time consuming as Ladybug, it somehow felt like I was closer to Chat. I had always assumed he was from Paris as he had seemed pretty familiar with its layout from the beginning. A part of me was wondering how close he was and what he was doing. The more rational part of me, however, knew that knowing that would only endanger him. Nevertheless, I was happy just knowing that he was nearby, somewhere. 

After saying goodbye to Nino and Adrien, I entered my hall. As I was walking to my dorm, I noticed Alya and Juleka’s dorm was open with a large group inside. I knocked on the door to announce my appearance, and saw Kagami, Rose, Mylene, and Juleka watching as Alya showed off something on her laptop. 

“Marinette!” Alya pretty much shouted, “You’ll never believe this. Look at these pictures I got for the Ladyblog! I was actually able to get a shot of Ladybug and Chat on the Eiffel Tower, plus it looks like they’re pretty cozy together!”

I put on a smile, but silently cursed myself inside. I had put my head on his shoulder as a friendly gesture, and Chat knew that. I’d be stupid to forget his old crush on me though. He was never exactly subtle about it. I didn’t want Chat to see these pictures and feel awkward about it. It’s not like he would get the wrong idea; we were long past that. It just felt like rubbing salt in the wound. In between my senior and junior year, I had confronted him about it, and had to let him down for both of our safety. I couldn’t let him keep pining for me, it had only been a matter of time before Hawkmoth used it against him. I couldn’t bear to see Chat get hurt. I knew that articles like the one I was looking at on Alya’s computer would only serve as a reminder of my rejection. I hated it. I hated it all. Chat was such a great guy, and though he could be a little goofy, he was the most caring person I think I had ever met. Outside of his nasty habit of risking his life for me all the time, he would always notice if I were down or upset, and would go out of his way to make me feel better. I had always felt happier after seeing him. I just didn’t want him to hurt.

“That’s a really good shot Alya!” I said. “Isn’t that kind of a private moment though?”

Alya looked down for a second, and I worried that I had offended her. “Yes, but maybe they wanted us to see? Maybe this is them making it official. After all, they were on top of Paris’s main attraction.”

I wanted to face palm, but I just smiled and let the rest of the girls talk and keep gawking at the screen. Alya seemed to be a hardcore journalist. Great, my neighbor is hell-bound on revealing all of my secrets. Nevertheless, it seemed like Alya really respected Ladybug. She was critiquing her work, saying that it didn’t quite do Ladybug justice. It was nice to see someone so grateful for all my secret identity does. She didn’t just focus on me defeating the akuma, but had many articles on the individual citizens I helped. It was nice to see.

As it got later, I decided to go to bed for the night. As I settled into the sheets, however, I found myself worrying about how many credits I should take with being Ladybug. After all, I wanted to keep my GPA up, but I couldn’t neglect my duties. Plus, I wanted to see Chat more. I wondered if I’d even have time for sculpting. As I was drifting off, I decided I’d take the class and drop it if it ended up being too much.


	5. First Day of Classes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette goes to class, makes new friends, and begins the school year.

Oh how I wished early morning classes could be made illegal. As I woke up to turn off my alarm for my first day of classes, I noticed Kagami brushing out her love raven colored hair at her desk. I wondered to myself how she would have even woken up this early. She hadn’t mentioned any early morning classes. Once the groggy haze of sleep wore off from my brain, I realized that I hadn’t actually talked to her about classes at all. I made a mental note to ask later, and started to get ready for class.

Brushing my teeth, I frantically looked on my map app to find the building of my class. It was about a ten minute walk from my dorm. The class was Econ 101, and it was a big lecture hall. I was glad that if one of my classes were to be at this wretched hour of the morning, it was one where I was likely not to be called on. Though I know it’s not the best idea, it might also be a good class to nap in if my Ladybug activities go too late. After making my face somewhat presentable, I threw on a pink babydoll dress and some sandals and headed out. 

The air was nice and warm as I made my way towards class. The streets of the city were bustling, and I heard the honking of cars and felt the brushes of people passing by to get to work or class. As I came upon my destination, I was met with a large glass building with metal supports. It had a beautiful garden outside from which I could hear various insects buzzing about. The doors were almost constantly held open by the hoards of students entering the building for their 9:00 AM classes. I followed suit, and arrived at the big lecture hall which was conveniently located right in front of the entrance. Though I had arrived a few minutes early, the class was already almost completely full. I found a spot in the middle right of the hall and sat down. There were two seats to my left that were completely empty. I got my notebook and pencils together, and took a deep breath, awaiting my first college class. 

The other students varied in ages. Many seemed to be the same age as me, but others looked like full grown adults. It was strange to think that I was going to school with people who seemed to be so much older and mature than me. Though, I supposed with my age, 18, I technically was an adult. It seemed so strange. It’s not like I had not had responsibilities before, I was Ladybug after all, but when I put all of that into the context of being an adult, it all seemed a lot heavier. Before, if I messed up, I could just chalk it up to my relative inexperience. I had only been a kid after all. Now, however, it was as if every move I made had more weight. I couldn’t blame my mistakes on being a kid, now I had to carry all of that weight. 

I was interrupted from my sudden realization when an incredibly tired-looking Alya plopped herself into the seat next to me. My sleepiness faded completely as I thought of the potential consequences of this moment. What if an akuma appeared during this class? Alya would have to be suspicious if her neighbor in class conveniently disappeared as soon as Ladybug showed up, especially if it happened multiple times. I knew I couldn’t risk it. However, I also wasn’t able to just leave. That could seriously hurt Alya’s feelings, and it wasn’t like she was mean. 

“Hey Marinette,” Alya half-yawned to me. I greeted her with a quick smile, and anxiously awaited the professor to start talking. Class was about to start at any minute, but every second seemed to last an eternity. As I fiddled with my notebook, I was incredibly aware of Alya’s presence next to me, almost begging me to say something. I supposed it was impolite not to, so I conceded. 

“I really should’ve worked harder to get a better sleep schedule. 9:00 AM feels so early, I can barely keep my eyes open.”

“I know, right?” Alya said with a more relaxed smile. “Since we both have this class in the mornings, how about we walk together?”

I panicked. She was such a nice girl, but getting too close to her could risk Ladybug being found out. That could put all of Paris in danger. That could put Chat in danger. I couldn’t let that happen.

“Oh, that’s a good point. I would but,” I paused thinking of an excuse, “I like to get breakfast and go on a little run before class, so I don’t think I would have time.”

I cursed myself. I never woke up early enough to run and get breakfast in the morning. If I didn’t go through with the lie, though, I would end up hurting Alya’s feelings. 

“Girl,” Alya began, “I do not know how you do all that. I could barely wake myself up to get to this class this morning. Props to you, though.”

With that, only after I had forced myself into a terrible morning routine, my professor finally started to talk. The class wasn’t too bad; the professor read over the syllabus and gave a quick introduction to the subject. As I was listening, I found my own personal miracle sitting two rows from the front. It was Adrien, sitting perfectly upright, with his glasses sitting perfectly balanced on top of his nose. Instead of his usual luxury brand loungewear, he was in a nice, business casual outfit, still of the Agreste brand. Perhaps he knew someone within the company? He was rather wealthy after all. Though his outfit was certainly well put together, that was not the reason he was my miracle of the day. It was because I knew someone else in the class, and had a valid excuse to sit next to him instead. It was perfect. I knew that he could be my ticket away from the piercing gaze of the Ladyblog. 

Once the class ended, I walked up to Adrien, showing him we had the same class. He greeted me with a big smile.

“It’s so nice to know someone in my class! If you have time, would you like to get breakfast? I went for a run earlier this morning and am starving.”

“Sure,” I responded. “You know, I was thinking about starting morning jogs before class. Do you know any good paths to take?”

His smile widened as he said, “That’s awesome, Marinette. I usually just go to the pond by the Chemistry building and back. You could come with me if you’d like?”

“I don’t know, I’m not all that fit,” I said. It was true. I was able to do amazing stunts as Ladybug, but that was only because of the miraculous. In my civilian form, I could barely run a mile. 

“It’s fine Marinette. If you keep it up, I bet you’ll be able to keep up with me in no time, “ he replied with a strangely familiar smirk. 

“I guess I will, then.”

With that, we left for breakfast. It was a nice morning. In high school, I never really ate breakfast. I was always in so much of a rush that I never had time to get it. Eating a nice plate of eggs and yogurt in the morning felt weirdly refreshing. Strangely enough, eating breakfast pushed all of the residual sleepiness of the morning right out of my body. I thought to myself that this routine may not be too bad. 

After breakfast I had to head to my sculpting class. I still wasn’t completely sure if I should remain in it, but Tikki seemed to think it was a good idea. The arts building was a little smaller than the one where my econ class had been. It had gorgeous art splattered across the building. Figures were painted across the roof, with metal sculptures spread throughout the lawn in front of the building. As I walked inside, I saw many projects scattered about, from student films playing on a loop to little listening stations for student music. It was almost like a miniature museum just for student artwork. It was beautiful. 

My sculpting classroom was a big studio painted white. Compared to the rest of the building, it looked pretty barren. About ten, big dark marble tables were spread across the room. I sat down at one of the tables towards the middle. A boy with bright red hair and blue eyes sat down next to me. He carried a blue backpack and wore a simple white shirt with checkered blue pants. His style was definitely quirky, but he pulled it off. 

“Hey,” he started, “I’m Nathaniel. Are you planning to be an art major?”

“Marinette,” I responded. “I’m not planning to major in art. Maybe I’ll minor in it. Right now I’m planning to major in business.”

“Cool,” he said with a wide, welcoming smile. He felt like the type of person you could tell anything to, and he would still accept you. He was a little awkward, he seemed pretty shy and started to doodle in his notebook almost as soon as he sat down. 

We continued to introduce ourselves. He was a first year, just like me, and he was planning to major in graphic design. As we continued talking he told me that he had been drawing comic books since middle school. He pulled up some of his works on his computer, and they were really cool. He mainly focused on superheroes, but they weren’t your typical books. His superheroes were more realistic, put in a setting where they constantly struggled with public opinion while dealing with the stressors of civilian life. To be completely honest, I found reading them to be rather cathartic. 

Once class started, the teacher did a lot of what my econ teacher did, going over the syllabus. However, once she started to actually start about the class, she instantly had my full attention. She described sculpting as a three dimensional expression of human emotions. She said that even if we weren’t majoring in an art, this class could be used as a way to share our feelings that we may not feel so comfortable sharing by other means. The class would consist of different sculpting methods, but she encouraged us to find our own ways to make each method our own, and encouraged us to add to whatever she taught with our own ideas. After hearing her explain the class, suddenly it didn’t feel like another stressor on my life, but a way to destress, from school, and from my responsibilities as Ladybug. This was a class where I could just be myself, free from my busy life. It was nice. I left the class with a big smile on my face. I got Nathaniel’s phone number, and we had agreed to meet up and critique each other's art projects. I was glad to have made another friend on campus, and sculpting class was perfect to get to know somebody. 

That had been all of my classes for the day, so I headed back towards my dorm. Outside of the dorm, I saw Rose had dropped some of her textbooks and rushed over to help her.

“Here,” I stated, handing her a French book. She gave a grateful smile as she took the book. I opened the door for her as we walked in.

“Thank you so much Marinette!” she exclaimed with rosy cheeks. “I’ve just been so busy today! It’s nice to see you, though. Why don’t you hang out with us more? I know you have some high school friends upstairs. They could join us as well!”

“Oh,” I started, unsure of how to explain my absence. I was only avoiding them so that Alya wouldn’t figure out my secret, but that wasn’t exactly something I could explain to Rose. “That sounds good, but my friend is kind of shy, so I’m not too sure if he would want to…”

“Look,” Rose interrupted, “I’m only saying this because I think that you’re a really nice girl, Marinette, but you cannot repeat this information.” Concerned, I nodded for her to continue. “Kagami has a really strict mother, and I don’t think she was able to make too many friends growing up. She’s such an incredible girl, and I think you would really like her if you gave her a chance.”

“You think I don’t like Kagami? No I-”

“Marinette,” she interrupted again. “You’ve barely spoken to her in the week since we got here. She feels like you’re avoiding her. I get that you have other friends, but you should really give Kagami a chance.” 

With that, Rose left to her dorm, leaving me standing there speechless. Though I didn’t realize it, I hadn’t really spent much time with Kagami. She was always hanging out with the girls on our floor, including Alya. I then guessed that my avoidance of Alya had turned into avoiding Kagami as well. My stomach churned as I thought about how much that probably hurt her. 

Going back to my dorm, I threw my bag down, feeling terrible. After a few hours of going through school work, Kagami came back. We gave our usual short greetings, and a large tension filled the room. Finally, I broke the silence.

“Hey, Kagami, would you like to get dinner tomorrow night? It would be with my friends Nino and Adrien.”

Though her facial expression didn’t change, I could see light shine in her eyes. She seemed happy that I had offered. “I would enjoy that,” she finally stated.

With that, the tension left the room, and I was on my way to making amends for ignoring her for the past week. I supposed this whole college life would be rather difficult to sort out, but I couldn’t help but feel guilty for how my secret could affect others. I wondered if Chat had to do the same, if he had to risk hurting others to keep his secret. I was excited to see him again so that I could get some of this off of my chest. We had a patrol scheduled for the next night, and I couldn’t wait for that to arrive.


	6. Another Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's second day of classes

With my eyes barely open, I turned off my alarm, wondering why I had agreed to do something as stupid as wake up early to go running. For one, I was already struggling to wake up for my morning classes. Secondly, while Ladybug could certainly do all of the cardio she wanted, without the suit, I could barely run a mile. I quickly threw on a pair of black leggings, my sports bra, a red top, and my black tennis shoes and headed downstairs to meet Adrien outside of our dorm building.

As I shuffled over to him, still blinking the sleepiness out of my eyes, I saw him stretching near a picnic bench. A loose black tee shirt hung across his chest and a pair of baggy grey running shorts showed his toned legs. He was incredibly fit. He wasn’t like a bodybuilder; he was still rather lean. However, his muscles were rather well-defined. I felt cheated. I didn’t think he was out of shape per se, but I never expected this. Adrien was always wearing such casual and baggy clothing and never looked like he was the athletic type. Looking at him now, however, he looked like he could’ve made it into this school on a sports scholarship. It was daunting to say the least. He looked like he ran every morning, I on the other hand haven’t worked out in months. 

“Hey Marinette!” Adrien exclaimed with way too much energy. “I’m so glad you could come with me. I usually have to do my runs alone, so it’s really nice to have someone with me.”

It was amazing how such a genuine guy could look so flawless. It seemed like he put a lot of work into his physique, but he didn’t seem like the type of person to care too much about his looks. When he told me how he was glad that I could join him, he almost reminded me of Chat when we first got our miraculous. He had that same joy, but also gave me the same sense of loneliness that Chat had. 

“Well, I wish you had told me how fit you are!” I retorted. “Are you a professional athlete or something?”

“I-” Adrien paused as a dark red filled his cheeks and his eyes shifted around. Without his glasses, I wasn’t sure if he was having trouble seeing or just averting my gaze. “Not quite. I just like to stay healthy!” he finished rather awkwardly.

“Okay,” I began, a little confused, “Well I’m going to warn you, I haven’t properly worked out in what feels like ages. Don’t let me hold you back.”

“I doubt you could do that,” he replied with a chuckle, “Plus, like I said, I’ve been needing some company on these runs. They get boring after a while.”

I followed his lead and started stretching out my calves and thighs. Adrien began upper body stretches, and I followed suit. Most of the stretches he was doing were ones I had never seen before. I only knew the ones that I had learned in the public school gym curriculum. After mimicking his stretches, however, I felt amazingly loose. He had such a well developed work out routine. Adrien might just get me into shape after all. Nino would certainly be surprised. 

“So how are things going in your dorm?” I asked as we began to jog.

“Nino is such a great guy. He’s super laid back and awesome to be around. I’m really enjoying it,” Adrien responded. “He talks about you quite a bit.”

“Oh no. What is he saying?” I asked, then cut myself off with, “Whatever it is, don’t listen to him. He’s such a gossip”

Adrien chuckled and assured me, “It’s all good things. It sounds like you guys are pretty close. How long have you known each other?”

“Since we were babies. Our fathers were good friends, so we would see each other all the time. He’s always had a knack for making fun of me. I get him back for it, though. We’ve had a few fights and awkward times throughout the years, but we always have each other's backs.”

“That’s so nice,” he stated, a little unfocused now.

“What about that girl, Chloe? You guys seemed pretty close.”

“Not nearly as close as you thought,” Adrien said with a playful smirk. “Chloe’s always been great, and like you guys we always have each other’s backs. We are just very different people at the end of the day.” 

I decided not to pry as he looked a little sad when talking about Chloe. Or perhaps the sadness came when I was talking about Nino. I wasn’t sure, but tried to change the subject. For the rest of the run we talked about basic college freshmen things such as classes and goals and whatnot. We then got into our interests, and I found out that Adrien was actually sort of a nerd. He went on and on about physics. It was amazing how passionate he was about it. I almost wondered why he didn’t choose that as his major. We later moved on to the topic of coding, which Adrien was taking a class on. Then, he started talking about how fascinated he was with videogames. My eyebrows shot up as I asked him what his favorite game was. It was Ultimate Mecha Strike. I was thrilled. 

“You know, I am quite skilled in that game. You’ll have to play me sometime,” I challenged him.

“Oh you’re on. Do you know how many hours I’ve sunk into that game? I’m basically a pro at this point. 

He began to run a little faster, and my breath was running out. Adrien seemed to notice, and carried on the conversation by himself, asking me yes or no questions. It was so sweet of him, but I felt sort of bad. He was definitely slowing his pace for me, and now here I was not even able to hold a conversation due to my sluggishness! Nevertheless, I continued running, trying to go as fast as I could so as to not hold him back too much. 

Once we arrived back at the dorm, I felt like every muscle in my body was going to fall off. Sweat was pouring down my forehead, and I felt disgusting. Adrien on the other hand looked perfectly refreshed and wore a huge smile on his face. 

“Thanks Marinette. I really enjoyed this. Are you down to come tomorrow? Not that you have to! Just, if you would like.” 

After taking a few seconds to catch my breath, I responded, “Sure, I’d like that. Thank you for inviting me, Adrien.”

We waved goodbye once we reached my floor, and I went to go take a shower. With the warm water running, I could feel each one of my muscles being to relax. It was euphoric. I supposed getting in shape wouldn’t hurt me. Plus, Adrien really seemed happy that I had joined him. I would normally think of that as a crush, but something about him seemed different. He had that same loneliness that Chat often held in his eyes. Adrien genuinely just seemed happy to have a friend. 

I got out of the shower, got dressed, and headed to my first class. It was a rather busy day. I had an intro to statistics class, a class on accounting, and a psychology class. My first two classes were smaller in size, and I got to know a few people. In statistics, a girl who introduced herself as Alix sat next to me. She had a punk style that I thought was rather well designed. I got her number when the class ended and we agreed to start a study group. 

Once I got to my psychology class, however, I halted. Sitting in the front row was the guy from the media center that I had met during orientation, Luka. He noticed me and gave a quick wave. I returned it and took my seat. As the class began, the professor introduced Luka as the TA, or assistant for the class. He would be available if we had any questions or needed any help on any assignments. He would also occasionally teach parts of our lectures. 

After the class ended, I approached Luka. “I didn’t know you were a psychology major,” I began. “I guess it makes sense though. Your recommendation for me to try an art class was really great. I had my first sculpting class yesterday and really enjoyed it.”

“That’s amazing Marinette. I’m glad to have helped,” he returned with a smile. “So, how are you liking it now that you’re done with orientation and finally a real student” he said playfully.

“It’s pretty nice, though a bit intimidating. I have been able to meet a lot of great people though!”

“That’s great. You know, the club fair is coming up soon. I’ll be running a booth, you should come visit.”

“Oh,” I began, “for which club?”

“It’s the music booth. Though, I also have a shift at the school newspaper.”

“I guess I’ll see you then,” I said with a smile. Luka just felt so easy to talk to. He was so laid back and inviting. 

By the end of the day I was exhausted. I went back to my dorm, fully expecting to just pass out, when I was met with an unusually chipper Kagami. It was then that I realized that I had completely forgotten that I had made plans to get dinner with her that night. I returned a quick smile and texted Nino. He didn’t seem bothered by the news at all, and actually seemed rather excited to finally meet my roommate. 

Nino and Adrien had been in the library, which was on the other side of the dining hall than our dorm, so I walked only with Kagami. There was a thick tension. I had no clue what to talk to her about. I felt so bad that I had been inadvertently ignoring her, but I knew she was too shy to start the conversation herself.

“So how have your classes been?” I asked, trying to make it less awkward.

“They have been going well. I have been able to come up with a good schedule to follow for studying.”

She had answered so bluntly I didn’t know how to respond. Luckily, I was saved as we saw Nino and Adrien.

“Ah the famous roommate, pleasure to meet you madame,” Nino said overdramatically. I let out a sigh, knowing that this was going to be quite an experience.


	7. Leakage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fights all around

“So, Kagami,” Nino exhaled, “how is it living with my favorite dudette?”  
“Well, she has been very kind and quite tidy. I have appreciated her company.” Kagami said, a little too formally. She had seemed so tense around me. I didn’t think she disliked me per se, but it seemed as if she hadn’t warmed up to me at all since we had been here. Looking at her formal manners, my head swirled with guilt for all the times I ignored her. She must have felt like I hated her, when I really didn’t.

Adrien, not even noticing Kagami’s tense presence, chirped in, “Guys, I heard that today they’re going to have an ice cream station. I never get to have that stuff.” He seemed purely joyful as his green eyes gleamed with excitement. I could recognize that look anywhere; it’s exactly how I felt trying new things as Ladybug. It seemed so strange, however, that he would feel that for something as small as an ice cream stand in the dining hall. Of all the things this dorky rich kid could look forward to, it was something as simple as ice cream.

“Dude, you’re telling me you rarely ate ice cream. Your dad really is as much of a buzzkill as you say,” Nino exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air if only to emphasize his astonishment. Nino always managed to make me crack a smile. I guess he was just comforting to me. I mean, even though we went through many hiccups in our mostly platonic relationship, we survived all of that. Not many friendships could survive a breakup, but ours did. Though, we did still drift apart after our breakup, and we hadn’t quite recovered from that yet. 

“I mean, yeah. I guess it was just another thing my dad barred me from doing,” Adrien said as his eyes shifted away from Kagami and I. 

“Well,” I started, trying to help ease Adrien’s obvious discomfort about the subject, “now is as good a time as ever to get some, right?”

With a nod from Adrien, we all walked in. Adrien ran over to the ice cream stand and Kagami slowly sauntered over to it behind him. Nino and I decided to find a table to set our stuff down before we got food. 

Nino looked at me with his eyebrow raised, and a mischievous glint in his eyes. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with Adrien lately. I have to admit, he is quite the looker.”

“Nino,” I stopped him, knowing where this was going, “you know I’m not in the position to think about stuff like that right now.”

“Dude, I don’t know if you’ve forgotten, but we dated, and I know you.” he stated, dropping his previously jovial attitude as I rolled my eyes. “You always do this.”

“Do what?” Who did he think he was to question me. He didn’t know about my life, at least, not all of it. He couldn’t know.

“You say that you’re ‘not ready’ for anything or that it’s ‘a bad time’ every time a potential romantic partner enters your life. Even our relationship ended for no real reason, you just claimed the same thing. Why are you so adamant to stay single?”

I stood there, and paused. “It’s not an excuse Nino, I’m not ready for anything right now. I thought you of all people would be able to accept that…”

“I can accept that, Marinette. It’s just that it’s been years now, and there’s been no change. Plus, it’s not as if you don’t lead guys on.”

“I what-” I started, before Adrien and Kagami approached the table.

“You guys haven’t gotten your food yet?” Adrien pointed out as they took their seats. 

Still fuming from my conversation with Nino, with a huff, I said, “I was just going.” I quickly left, and got my plate. Who was Nino to say that I lead guys on and make excuses? Was he trying to make me feel guilty for breaking up with him? He had no idea what my hectic life was like. Granted, it’s not like I could tell him, but for him to even insinuate that was infuriating. For him to bring up our relationship as well, it was clear he wasn’t as over it as he let on. I grabbed a sandwich, knowing I could quickly gobble it down and leave. I was dreading going back to that table and sitting with Nino.

I made my way back to the table and saw that I had beaten Nino. Adrien and Kagami sat on the same side of the table, leaving two seats for Nino and I. When I approached, it seemed that whatever light conversation they were having paused. 

“Hey,” Adrien began with his eyebrows knit, “are you good?”

“Yeah,” I stated bluntly. “I’m just a little stressed.” He continued to look at me with those worried eyes. Adrien really was a good guy, and he deserved someone who could give their all to him. It felt wrong to date someone while keeping a whole alter ego a secret from them. On top of that, while from a distance he looked pretty average due to his baggier clothes, up close he looked like a model. He was gorgeous. It wasn’t like he would fall for someone like me. 

I started to gobble my sandwich as Adrien and Kagami resumed their previous conversation. Apparently they bonded over their rather strict parents. It seemed like both of their parents ruled over their whole lives. I felt kind of bad for them, but they seemed to have a lot in common. They began to talk about ways they got around their parents, and they were quite amusing. One time Kagami paid someone to take her place at a piano lesson. Another time, Adrien dressed as a chef at a charity event to get out of having to participate in small talk with those who had connections with his father. They seemed to live in an entirely different world from the one I know. 

When I was halfway through my sandwich, Nino approached the table with an unreadable expression. I avoided his eyes, and he remained pretty silent. Adrien and Kagami continued their conversation, but Nino and I remained silent, trying our best to ignore one another. Adrien spared occasional glances at both of us, but never said anything. As tensions grew, I hoped for any excuse to leave. I ate my sandwich a little faster.

As the sound of screams came from outside, I breathed a sigh of relief. For once, I was thankful for the akuma attack. As I got up to go find somewhere to hide, Nino stopped me. “We have to hide.”

“I know, I was going to find somewhere.”

Nino huffed and asserted, “I know you’re mad at me, but that isn’t something to risk your life over, we need to stick together, right Adrien?”

“Uh…” Adrien said, a look of panic in his eyes. “If it’s a big deal, I could take Marinette?” he said as if it were a question.

Unable to think of an excuse, I agreed. He led me outside of the dining hall and towards a class building that had less windows and would be a good hiding spot.. As we were moving, however, Adrien got lost in the crowd. I turned around, not wanting to leave him alone in this situation. Especially not when he was just trying to protect me when I was too stubborn to go with the whole group. As I went back, I found myself in an alley. Just as I was about to transform to be better able to find Adrien and fight the akuma, my partner swooped down in black leather. 

“Why hello purrincess, what are you doing here?” he said with an oddly light presence. He had seemed so downtrodden with Ladybug lately. 

“I could ask you the same thing. Shouldn’t you, the superhero, be fighting the akuma right now?” 

“Citizens are always my first priority,” he stated, extending his hand to me. His chivalrous demeanor almost reminded me of when we first got our miraculous. Though I complained at the time, I really missed his cute little smirk. Unable to do much else without raising suspicion, I took his hand. He swept me up and took me to an alley behind a bakery right outside of the campus. I held in a laugh at how ironic it was, being that I grew up in a bakery. The smell was nice, and reminded me of home. 

“See, was that so hard?” Chat exclaimed as he put me down.

“I mean… I was held by a mangy cat,” I smirked as he scrunched his nose at the comment, “but this one is pretty cute I guess.” 

With that, he gave a quick goodbye and fled back towards the scene. A slight panic hit me when I realized I had just called Chat ‘cute’. Despite my embarrassment, I transformed and swung to the scene. While Chat probably thought I was there, it was still very irresponsible to take that much time away from the akuma for a single citizen. He had even brought me all the way off of campus. 

When I had swung to the scene, I saw a giant stage on the main lawn of the campus. It seemed that a theater professor was upset with the lack of interest in his classes, so now his akumatized form compelled citizens to act in a play. He was doing Macbeth, and the dark meaning behind that being the play was not lost on me. Chat was trying his best to avoid people dashing at him with swords as Shakespearean English was spoken around us. He seemed worn out and I felt so guilty. 

Looking around, I found the akuma perched right in front of the stage in a giant director’s chair. He moved his hands around all those he had put in his ‘play’ as if they were puppets. He continued zapping people and forcing them to join as he picked his favorites to play certain roles. When he examined the citizens that he considered, he seemed to put all of his attention into it. That was the time I could strike. The question was then, how was I going to get to him. Even off of the giant stage it looked like a war being fought, just like the one at the end of Macbeth. Citizens swung swords and were genuinely fighting one another. I made my way towards Chat.

“I’m so sorry I’m so late. I got held up. Secret identity and all.”

“It’s okay,” he replied nonchalantly, “but what’s the plan LB?”

“Use your baton to form a shield and push me towards the akuma. We need to distract him though. You need to pretend to be a part of his play, while I’ll hide and break that chair from the back. I’m pretty sure that is where the akuma is hiding.”

“Alright, after you my lady,” I smiled at the more endearing nickname, and then swung off. 

Chat spun his baton in a circle in front of him, pushing all the people in front of him away. He kept a puffed chest, trying to look like he was fighting in an actual war. He looked so funny that way. As we made it closer, I slowly slid my way to the side to get to the back of his chair. Chat stood right in front of him with blank eyes and the same puffed chest.

“My my, what do we have here. This one has quite the figure… he could take one of the leading roles.” he paused for a second, the purple butterfly appearing in front of his face. “Though, I am not a huge fan of the cat costume. That just won’t do.”

Chat remained still as the akuma reached for him, continuing the charade. I would have to get there quickly. I used my lucky charm, and it gave me a small scooter. I hated that thing sometimes. Citizens still poured in around me. Nevertheless, I used it to the best of my ability to get there, with the extra speed I got from the miraculous helping to push citizens to the sides. Right as the akuma began to grab Chat’s hand, I was able to crack the back of his chair, releasing the akuma. 

Chat jumped over, looking a little nervous, but thankful. He gave me an exhausted smile and put out his fist. “Pound it.” I then had to return to my friends, tensions and all. I almost missed the akuma.


End file.
